As simple as it may sound, breathing is one of the greatest tools we have. We breathe about 25,000 times each day, without even thinking about it. Our breath not only sustains our life, it can also be used as a powerful instrument for stress management, mental clarity, and overall wellbeing. Many of us don't breathe correctly which actually can h …
Take a deep breath and hold it 'til it hurts, race the clock, stay up late/get up early, steal a night on the town, watch the ball game into extra innings, turn the volume up to the max, read another chapter, have another drink, run an extra mile, bank another dollar, break a rule, spend without thrift, do another good deed, reach for another goal, …
Flo and I were taking a walk in Great Barrington last weekend and passed a lawn that was covered in dandelions. A carpet of yellow. It was pretty.But my initial reaction was “weeds!!!”Then we talked as we walked.“Who labeled them weeds?”“Do they know they’re weeds?”“Is that bad?” and“Do they care?”It doesn’t change the beautiful yellow.But they’re …
While traveling recently I noticed a few habits that made me say "The French have it right!" All chairs at outdoor cafes face out toward the street (don't let the world pass you by); 99% of the retail stores were closed by 6:00 pm. Spend quality time not money; 99% of the restaurants stopped serving food by 10:00 pm - nothing good comes from eatin …
I hope you all enjoyed the long Memorial Day weekend and took advantage of sunshine and the start of summer. I also hope you had a minute to stop and think about someone in your world who served, or perhaps is currently serving, our country. For those of you who remember Debbie Lindner (who was with Gotham as our Director for many years), she ne …
It almost seems that the pandemic is in our rear-view window. Yet, for me there have been some permanent changes in our lives. Before the pandemic, when certain sort of movies opened (read Science Fiction), I had to see science fiction movies in the theaters as soon as I could. I firmly believed that these movies could only be seen, and properly …
Finally. I took in my first live show of 2023. This month. Last weekend. Certainly worth the wait. Some of my faves no longer grace the earth and some lack the ability to perform, let alone tour. So I was excited as the prospect of seeing and hearing one of my favorites singer-songwriters, founding member of two iconic bands and member of the …
Last week I published a poem on getting old. To be transparent, as I am, it was ChatGPT generated. What I posted wasn't exactly what the generative AI produced, but pretty close. I didn't take the time to edit and "humanize" it which I wanted to do. And only one person asked me who created this...Odey. And that's the interesting and potenti …
Recently I remarked upon our precious freedoms and our unique Constitutional Bill of Rights. A friend responded by declaring that possibly our greatest Right is not set forth therein. In response to my inquiry as to what was missing he responded, "The Right to be Wrong".Brilliant!We are so often "wrong again" :)Someone else chimed in that "There …
Last weekend, we attended our nephew’s graduation from Brandeis University. It was nice being back at my alma mater. But that’s for another blog.My takeaway was from the graduate who told that she was failing organic chemistry in her first semester. She recalled how her professor took that special interest in her and mentored her through the challe …
The concept of “good old days” is a puzzlement. What stage of life doesn’t come with challenges? I don’t want to go through my early teens again – no way! And truth be told, the 1950s were not so great. My philosophy is that the best is yet to come. Sure, I love old movies and music; I love old cars – clothing styles from the past, however, are …
Pomp and Circumstance just never gets old. The excitement just continues to grow as you try to find your graduate in a sea of caps and gowns, and the music crescendos right along with. Truth be told, from Eric’s graduation last year I have a string of pictures of young men in caps and gowns who I thought were my son – but were not. Eventually, …
I have one vice that I am emphatic about, I have to be everywhere on time. And, not only on time, generally I always arrive early. If I have a court appearance or meeting, I almost always show up at least fifteen minutes early. If we have a flight, I am usually sitting at the gate at least an hour early. My family finds my insistence on leaving …
As mom's day approached last weekend, my deck and patio below got cleaned and I began the redeployment of furniture, umbrellas, a fan and the electronic necessary to setup my outside office. The last act involved taking the external monitor and setting it on its stand. That occurred after visiting with mom last Sunday. I was able to use the spac …
In the tapestry of time, threads silver and gold, Each strand is a story, each wrinkle a tale untold, Aging isn't a curse, but a gracious unfold, Of life lived in depth, in warmth, and in cold. Days whisper softly, in sunsets of molten hue, Reminding us gently of things we once knew. Each dawn is a blessing, every twilight is too, Age is but sta …
